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Iraq crisis: the IRC in Iraq

Photo: Rachel Unkovic/IRC

More than 2 million people inside Iraq have been uprooted by violent conflict. The International Rescue Committee is providing clean water, medicine, protection services, relief supplies and emergency financial assistance to the displaced as well as vulnerable locals. In addition, the IRC provides emergency support to thousands of Syrian refugees in northern Iraq, and — since 2003 — those who have fled previous waves of violence in central Iraq.

The Latest

How We Help

Winter aid:

In northern Iraq, the IRC is distributing emergency winter kits to more than 25,000 refugees living in unfinished buildings and makeshift camps. The kits include thermal blankets, bed covers, a kerosene heater and a large carpet.

Emergency response in Iraq

The IRC is working to meet the immediate needs of Iraqi families who fled to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Central Iraq and across the border to Syria.

We are supporting public health centers with critical drugs and will expand to support the recruitment of additional doctors and nurses to manage the influx of new patients

We are facilitating provision of cash assistance to 20,000 displaced Iraqi families throughout the central region

The IRC's other work in Iraq

The IRC works in camps for Syrian refugees where we provide services for women, education for children, legal assistance, and access to clean water and sanitation. We also mobilize refugees and empower them to ensure their needs are met and their human rights are respected.

The IRC rebuilds schools damaged by war, and trains teachers, reaching close to 50,000 students at 216 Iraqi schools.

We provide free legal assistance to thousands of Iraqi returnees and displaced persons, as well as to the growing Syrian refugee population.

We help displaced community leaders develop their skills in identifying and addressing essential community needs.

Aid worker updates from Iraq

Crisis in Iraq

The International Rescue Committee is responding to the massive displacement of Iraqi people who are fleeing from attacks in Mosul and elsewhere in the country. Get updates from IRC aid workers and others responding to and reporting on the crisis. Rescue.org/iraq

The International Rescue Committee is providing emergency medical care for up to 4,000 dehydrated Yazidi Iraqi refugees, mostly women and children, who have survived without food or water for up to six days hiding from Islamic State militants in the Sinjar mountains.

The refugees chose to seek safety in Syria, a country also ridden by conflict, and on Thursday evening (7 August) arrived in Newrooz camp in Al Hazakah province in the northeast of the country. They had suffered dehydration, sun stroke and diarrhea, and some were in need of urgent treatment for war injuries.

The refugees are a breakaway group of around 40,000 Yazidis, a minority religious group in Iraq, that are currently stranded in the Sinjar mountains. With the Islamic State attacking minorities in Sinjar — including Christians, Turkmens and Shia Arabs — the group fears persecution and death if they descend the mountain, but are in danger of dying of dehydration if they remain.

Both the UN and the US have provided food and water air-drops in the past few days in an attempt to reach some of those stranded, but the situation is rapidly deteriorating.

Suzanna Tkalec, International Rescue Committee’s Iraq Country Director, said: “Everything humanly possible must be done to prevent further tragedy from occurring on Mount Sinjar. Whether coming overland or through air drops, there needs to be a coordinated response to ensure aid reaches the 40,000 people stranded on the mountainside. In addition, a safe route out of the mountains must be established as soon as possible, as well as guarantees of safety for the displaced in surrounding areas. The ultimate goal must be to provide the safe return home for those who have fled attacks. This is especially necessary, for religious minority groups have found it necessary to live closely together following previous waves of sectarian violence.”

The IRC is providing medical care for the new arrivals at Newrooz camp, previously home to 20 Syrian families that had been displaced by the fighting in the country. The camp lacks enough tents for the new arrivals but the IRC has provided plastic sheeting, and the Syrians already living at Newrooz have helped the newcomers build makeshift shelters. In the coming days the IRC plans to also provide basic necessities including cooking equipment, blankets and soap.

During the past week the IRC has also attempted to distribute essential hygiene items and medicines to health centers in towns in the contested areas between the Nineva and Duhok governorates in Iraq, but found the towns nearly empty. Those who remained were preparing to leave to Duhok, where up to 250,000 more people are expected to arrive in the coming weeks.

Since the crisis began early last month, an estimated 850,000 Iraqis have escaped the ongoing violence. According to the UN, 1.2 million people in Iraq have been displaced this year.

The IRC currently works in 13 of Iraq’s 18 governorates and, as UNHCR’s largest partner in the country, has been at the forefront of monitoring the influx of the newly displaced Iraqis.

The IRC has reached more than 1,400 families since early June, distributing emergency supplies like bedding and hygiene kits to displaced Iraqis and the communities providing them shelter. The IRC also registered 637 families hosting Iraqis for vouchers redeemable at local vendors for emergency supplies.

The IRC in IraqMore than 1.5 million Iraqis - close to 5% of the population - who fled or were forced from their homes following the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 are still displaced. The International Rescue Committee continues to support their safe return and to ensure that they are protected wherever they may be.

"It's really a mark of desperation that #Yazidis are fleeing into Syria" IRC's @Civoknu on @upwithsteve: http://t.co/JXKC5njVgnIntl Rescue Comm IRC

So relieved that @theIRC has been able to reach thousands of Yazidi Iraqi refugees. Much more aid will be needed: http://t.co/lY317gU0BeChelsea Purvis

Stopped at CP in Ainkawa. Cars around us full of families fleeing. Erbil is safe - but kids in cars are terrified. http://t.co/EFj9gQsFYaRachel Unkovic

The IRC in IraqMore than 1.5 million Iraqis - close to 5% of the population - who fled or were forced from their homes following the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 are still displaced. The International Rescue Committee continues to support their safe return and to ensure that they are protected wherever they may be.

June 27 - More than 1,000,000 Iraqis have fled their homes in the wake of escalating violence -- this year alone. They join an additional 1,000,000 previously displaced Iraqis and refugees seeking safety from violent conflict. Many have sought refuge in the northern Kurdish region. Watch new video:

Displacement grows amid escalating violence in Iraqtheirc

120 families still living in squalor in #Germawa camp near #Dohuk. No water, spotty electricity, filth, and snakes. #iraq #syriaHadeel Al-Shalchi

.@theIRC's @sarahdianecase to hometown paper @TorontoStar: "Some fled with just the clothes on their backs" http://t.co/IEZG2wgx10 #iraqHadeel Al-Shalchi

Donate now to support vulnerable families in Iraq | International Rescue CommitteeRecent violent attacks in northern Iraq have uprooted hundreds of thousands of people from their homes. The IRC is deploying an emergency team to assess the situation and plan a response, as we maintain our programs for Iraqis and Syrian refugees previously displaced by violence.Please donate now.

June 20 - Traumatized by conflict, Iraq faces a new health emergency

“Homes hosting Iraqis fleeing from violence are becoming overcrowded and some don’t have good access to clean water and sanitation. Add the scorching heat and you have a recipe for a the outbreak of disease..."

- IRC senior health advisor Camilo Valderrama in a statement released by the IRC today, #WorldRefugeeDay

The IRC is gearing up to provide water to 5,000 people who have fled to Dohuk, and give cash grants to help 7,000 new arrivals to pay for their basic needs. In addition, a network of community health and hygiene workers are identifying and referring children for vaccination and reporting suspected cases of communicable diseases so that early measures can be taken to prevent its spread. The IRC is coordinating with health authorities to provide medicines for diabetics and people with hypertension.

.@theIRC found 14 families living in small house in Shaykhany district. 7 kids under 5 had severe diarrhea, which could be lethal #iraqHadeel Al-Shalchi

In #Mosul, measles is endemic, outbreaks likely if people not vaccinated early enough. #iraq #iraqcrisisHadeel Al-Shalchi

On #WorldRefugeeDay @theIRC fears new health emergency in #Iraq with spread of disease among overcrowded those fleeing violenceHadeel Al-Shalchi

June 19 - Fuel crisis hinders aid, could trap Iraqis fleeing violence

Extreme fuel shortages in central Iraq could prevent Iraqis from fleeing violence, and affect public works including operations of hospitals and water pumps stations during the hottest period of the year, warns the International Rescue Committee.

"For those still trapped in areas of fighting, the fuel crisis will make it far harder to escape. Even people who have already fled to Kurdistan need fuel for their cars to collect lifesaving food aid or to access hospitals."

#Iraq fuel shortage will also affect public works incl operations of #hospitals and water pumps stations during the hottest period of yearHadeel Al-Shalchi

Women who need to give birth will be affected by the #Iraq fuel shortage... wont be able to get to hospitalHadeel Al-Shalchi

And those who already fled to #Kurdistan need fuel for their cars to collectfood aid or to access hospitals #Iraq #fuelHadeel Al-Shalchi

Worries are for those still trapped in areas of fighting. The fuel crisis will make it harder for them to escape. #Iraq #isisHadeel Al-Shalchi

The fuel shortage in central #Iraq is going to exacerbate an already stretched humanitarian response in #Kurdistan.Hadeel Al-Shalchi

Mother fled #Mosul because she was afraid her daughter would be abducted by armed men @IRCuk http://t.co/x0Ys1UcPo2 #WorldRefugeeDayIntnl Rescue Comm UK

How the IRC helps in Iraq

An already serious humanitarian crisis is growing worse as hundreds of thousands of Iraqis flee a new wave of attacks on their towns and cities. IRC teams have been visiting families who fled violence in Iraq to assess urgent needs and prepare to launch a response that will include clean water, medicines, and emergency cash assistance to help cover food, shelter and other essentials. We are also providing emergency support to refugees from neighboring Syria who have fled to camps in northern Iraq.

The IRC in IraqMore than 1.5 million Iraqis - close to 5% of the population - who fled or were forced from their homes following the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 are still displaced. The International Rescue Committee continues to support their safe return and to ensure that they are protected wherever they may be.

"'Iraq already has a level 3 polio disaster,' MacInnes said. The Syrian crisis next door is so desperate that it has also been named a level 3, he said. 'With this designation in Iraq, that means we have currently three level 3 disasters that are affecting the country.'"

- Colin MacInnes, deputy head of UNICEF in Iraq, was quoted in a June 18 Washington Post story after UNICEF upgraded Iraq's latest crisis to a level 3 humanitarian disaster -- its most severe designation. The story also quotes Camilo Valderrama, the IRC's senior health adviser.

U.N. raises disaster designation in Iraq as refugees flood into KurdistanThe United Nations on Wednesday upgraded Iraq's latest crisis to a level 3 humanitarian disaster - its most severe designation - as U.N. officials said they were scrambling to provide water and other essentials while preparing to cope with an estimated 1.5 million displaced people.

“This is a severe and dangerous developing humanitarian emergency.”

- Nora Love, the Iraq country director of the International Rescue Committee, quoted in a story distributed by the Associated Press on June 18.

Timeline Photos - International Rescue Committee | FacebookThe humanitarian crisis in Iraq, beyond the headlines of violent attacks, can no longer be ignored. http://bit.ly/T142ZC Some of the most vulnerable...

"Humanitarian workers say the mass displacement from Mosul and other parts of Iraq is a crisis. The International Rescue Committee says displaced Iraqis who can't make it to the Kurdish north are sleeping in cars on the side of the road. Many of the displaced walk for days to get to safety."

River Of Refugees Begins To Swell As Iraqis Flee Sunni MilitantsAn estimated 500,000 people in Iraq have fled the city of Mosul after the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, along with other militant groups, swept into the city and the Iraqi army fled. And as the nation appears to be heading towards sectarian war, humanitarian workers say this is only the beginning of displacement that could rival the Syrian humanitarian crisis next door.

June 17 - Washington Post report, with video:

"A week of brutal, intense fighting in Iraq has driven roughly half a million people from their homes and fanned fears of a bloody new civil war less than three years after the departure of U.S. troops. 'This is a severe and dangerous developing humanitarian emergency,' Nora Love, the Iraq country director of the International Rescue Committee, said Monday."

Iraqi forces battle swiftly-moving militantsGovernment forces battled swiftly moving al-Qaeda-inspired militants in several locations across Iraq on Tuesday as the United States weighed its options, including airstrikes, to help prop up the Baghdad government. Up to 275 American military personnel were being sent to Iraq to provide support and extra security at the heavily fortified U.S.

More than 1 million Iraqis have little hope of returning to their homes due to ongoing violence. An already serious humanitarian crisis is growing worse as hundreds of thousands more flee a new wave of attacks on their towns and cities. The International Rescue Committee and our Iraqi partners are continuing to ensure that women, children and other vulnerable Iraqis have adequate access to water, sanitation, medical care, education and other basic services. We are also providing emergency support to refugees from neighboring Syria who have fled to camps in northern Iraq.

The IRC in IraqMore than 1.5 million Iraqis - close to 5% of the population - who fled or were forced from their homes following the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 are still displaced. The International Rescue Committee continues to support their safe return and to ensure that they are protected wherever they may be.

June 16 - IRC increasingly concerned by violence in Iraq: hundreds of thousands of Iraqis displaced:

.SanjSrikanthan about to tell @BBCNews of difficulties faced by Iraqis fleeing violence. And earlier on @SBSNews: http://t.co/L1eDp5zQ1vIntnl Rescue Comm UK

People in #Mosul had a home & within hours had to flee with whatever they could carry @SanjSrikanthan on @SkyNews http://t.co/JZzI9B5jXTIntnl Rescue Comm UK

.@SanjSrikanthan on @SkyNews staff on the ground in #iraq for @theIRC @IRCuk are national staff - Iraqis helping IraqisDominique Tuohy

.@DFID_UK has donated 3million GBP to humanitarian effort in #iraq which is to be commended says @SanjSrikanthanDominique Tuohy

Britain to give £3m of emergency humanitarian assistance to help civilians fleeing the ISIS advance in Northern Iraq http://t.co/wYKFZvQefaDFID

At the beginning of this year Iraq had a million internally displaced people and over 200,000 refugees. Since then almost 480,000 additional individuals have been displaced from Anbar alone and now, an estimated 500,000 people are fleeing fighting in Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city.

We are closely monitoring the crisis and assessing how it affects both the ongoing existing problems for internally displaced Iraqis fleeing violence, as well as the impact on Syrian refugees in Iraq.